Single cam punch



J. C. BAKER ETAL March 13, 1962 SINGLE CAM PUNCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 11, 1960 March 13, 1962 J. c. BAKER ETAL SINGLE CAM PUNCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 11, 1960 w L I 0 Un O I 5 o I 5 5 2 d 0 O 5 C H w 0 2 m 2 0 r 0 2 7O 2 O 2 0 6 IL B mm m 0 0 6 0 5 O r 4|. 5 4 Du 0 2 H\ w 0 5 7 0 0 6 5% 5 0 a ZJ a a m0. 0 m m w m m m T 0 R P EL m N R IL M N w 0 F. M S m R m. I m 5525a P ROTATION 0F CAM 17 (DEGREES) FIG. 6

FIG.

3fi2472 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 i I Fine 3,024,972 SEN-GU31 CAM PUNCH .l'oseph C. Baker and Charles S. .lackowski, Endicott, N.Y.,

assignors to international Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 11, 1960, Ser. No. 42,139 6 Claims. (@l. 234--l14) This invention relates to machines for applying a code marking to a form, such as tape or a record card, and more particularly to punching machines wherein the form is advanced stepwise past one or more parallel banks of punching stations and the form is punched while stationary between stepwise movements.

Previously proposed punching machines comprise a cam-driven continuously oscillating or reciprocating punching bail, and a punch member which is reciprocated by a punching lever when the latter is mechanically coupled to the bail by an interposer. With such arrangements, wear, noise and vibration occur due to the inertia of the bail under load and a relatively large number of operating parts are required. This limits undesirably the rate at which records can be punched.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved machine capable of punching or otherwise marking a record form or forms at a rate substantially greater than possible with machines heretofore proposed and embodying fewer operating parts.

Another object is to provide a machine of the above general type wherein the selecting, marking and restoring functions are controlled by followers which engage a single rotary cam that preferably, though not necessarily, has a plurality of contiguous lobes to permit a corresponding plurality of marking cycles for each revolution of the cam.

A further object is to provide an improved machine of the above type of compact construction to permit two marking or punching members to concurrently apply code information to two different sets of rows of a record form as it is indexed past said members.

According to the invention, an improved marking ma chine is provided with at least one bank of marking members individually selectable such that members in each bank may be concurrently or selectively operated to mark a record form while it is stationary between stepwise movements. Operation of each marking member is initiated by a latch means which responds to a predetermined signal to cause a selecting lever to contact a continuously rotating cam. Thereafter, as the cam rotates, the selecting lever interposes an interposer between the cam and member to cause the cam to operatively shift the memher to a marking position. As the member is thus shifted, a restoring lever operatively connected thereto is moved toward contact with the cam. After the form has been marked, the rotating cam through the restoring lever returns the member to its normal or retracted position. Thus, when a marking cycle is initiated, operation of the selecting lever, interposer, marking member and restoring lever are desirably controlled by a single rotary cam which effects smooth substantially harmonic movement of these parts without the th gh inertia, noise and wear experienced in previously proposed machines employing a reciprocating or oscillating bail.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation view showing a punching machine embodying the invention and comprising two longitudinally spaced punches and their respective backto-back-arranged control mechanisms and a portion of a record card transport system;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing one of the punches and its corresponding control mechanism, positioned as during an idling cycle.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views like FIG. 2 except with the punch and its control mechanism shown in respective positions assumed during downward and upward movements of the punch.

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic timing diagram showing the relative times at which various components are actuated; and

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a record card showing the manner in which it may be punched concurrently in two spaced rows.

Description As shown in FIG. 1, the improved machine illustrated therein comprises briefly means, designated generally 11, for moving successive record cards 12 stepwise along a longitudinal pathway, from right to left as viewed in this figure, relative to two parallel banks X, Y of longitudinally spaced vertically reciprocable marking members, such as punches 13. Each bank X, Y preferably comprises a number of punches 13 equal to the number of columns (rather than rows) provided on the record card (for example, punches for a conventional 80-column card), so that the cards will be punched in parallel (that is, row by row). Operation of each punch 13 is independently controlled by a corresponding selecting lever 14, interposer 15, restoring lever 16, and rotary cam 17, each of identical configuration; and a separate electrically controlled latch means 18 is provided for initiating operation of each punch, in the manner presently to be described.

In the embodiment illustrated, the means 11 comprises a single constantly rotating driver 19 driven counterclockwise by a shaft 2t) and carrying two diametrically opposite drive pins 21 eccentric to the shaft axis. During each successive revolution of the driver 19, the pins 21 will alternately enter successive adjacent radial slots in a Geneva wheel 22 and rotate the latter clockwise through equal predetermined small angular increments. However, during the period after one pin 21 leaves a slot and the other pin 21 enters the adjacent slot, the wheel 22 will be stationary, providing a dwell period during which a particular card 12 can be punched. The wheel 22 and a feed roll 23 are keyed to a rotatable shaft 24 journaled in side frames (not shown) and disposed above the card feed path.

A suitably anchored spring 25 hooked to one arm 26 of a bell-crank-like lever 27 biases the lever counterclockwise about a fulcrum pin 28. This spring acts to maintain a roller follower 29 that is carried at the outer end of the other arm 39 of lever 27 in contact with a continuously rotating cam 32. Vertically disposed below shaft 24 is a pin 33 which is carried by lever arm 3'9. An idler friction roll 34 is rotatably mounted on pin 33. With this arrangement, when the follower 2? rides on the high part of cam 32, the roll 34- will be rocked downward by lever 27 against resistance of spring 25 to the abnormal position in which it is shown. In this position, the roll 34 is spaced from roll 23 to permit a card to be moved leftward into an initial position, as shown, by a registering mechanism 35. However, when the follower 29 rides off the high part of cam 32, pin 33 and hence roll 34 will be moved upward by action of spring 25 on lever 27 so that the card 12 will be pinched between rolls 23 and 34. While thus pinched, the card 12 will be advanced stepwise by roll 23 each time the latter is rotated at predetermined increment through the medium of shaft 24, Geneva wheel 22 and drive pins 21. In the embodiment illustrated, after six indexing movements the follower 29 will again ride onto the high part of the cam 32 for unpinching the card 12. The large diameter part of a continuously rotating driving feed roll 36 will then register with the card so that it will be pinched between said part and a companion idler feed roll 37 to frictionally drive the card leftward past the punch bank Y. The card 12 will be moved leftward and picked up by another set of feed rolls 38, 39, including a continuously rotating drive roll 38, before the card leaves the rolls 36, 37 to provide continuous advancement of the card toward a terminal station such as a bin.

The card registering mechanism 35 as illustrated comprises a pair of transversely spaced generally T-shaped levers 40 only one of which is shown. Each lever is rockably fulcrumed substantially at the junction of its three arms on a transverse rod 41 carried by the side frames (not shown). A suitably anchored spring 42 is hooked to one of the arms of each lever 41 to bias such lever counterclockwise about fulcrum rod 41 and thereby maintain a respective roller follower 43 carried by another of said arms in contact with a corresponding rotary cam 44. Cams 32 and 44 are keyed to a common drive shaft 45. A pair of transversely spaced card registering levers 46 (only one of which is shown) are each rockably supported on a corresponding pin 47 pivotally carried by the third arm of each lever 40. A light spring 48 may be separately anchored or else indirectly anchored by connection with that arm of each lever 40 which is connected to heavier spring 42, as shown. Each spring 48 is connected to one end of each registering lever 46 to bias it counterclockwise about its pin 47 to raise above the card feed path a hook 49 formed at the other end of such lever. However, each hook 49 will be depressed against the light bias of its spring 48 by the oncoming edge and then the under side of an advancing card. Cam 44 is of such configuration that each hook 49, after popping up behind the trailing edge of a card 12 and through a longitudinal slot in a bed plate (not shown) will be moved leftward and register the card. This leftward movement of hook 49 is effected when follower 43 rides onto the low part of cam 44- and spring 42 rocks lever 40 counterclockwise for swinging pin 47 and hence lever 46 leftward. After the card 12 has been moved leftward to its initial or registered position in which it is shown, follower 43 will ride onto the high part of cam 44 and cause the lever 46 and hook 49 to move rightward preparatory to registering a succeeding card 12. Meanwhile, as the card 12 is successively advanced stepwise past the punches 13 and then withdrawn by the rolls 36, 37, the succeeding card 12 will be moved onto the bed plate (not shown) by a drive feed roll 38a and an idler feed roll 39a and advanced between a continuously rotating driving feed roll 50 and a companion idler feed roll 51. This succeeding card 12 will not be advanced leftward by the rolls '0, 51 until the large diameter part of roll 50 registers with such card and squeezes the card sufficiently to drive the same at the proper time. Hooks 49 will register such succeeding card 12 before it is gripped and advanced by feed rolls 5t), 51.

It is to be understood that through suitable gearing (not shown) rotation of the driver 19, cams 1'7, drive feed rolls 36 and 50 is synchronized such that the driver and cams make a complete revolution every two marking or so-called card point cycles, whereas the feed rolls will make a complete revolution every complete machine cycle. Each machine cycle will thus equal card point cycles, six of which correspond to the times necessary to index a conventional 12-r0w card and the remainder corresponding to the entry and exit times for a card.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cams 17 of the respective banks X and Y are rotated in reverse directions by respective drive shafts 52, 53 driven by the aforementioned gearing. As illustrated, each cam 17 has a cam surface 54 defined by two lobes of identical and symmetrical configuration, such that their respective low points, L, L are diametrically opposite each other and arranged at to their respective diametrically opposite high points H, H.

Each latch means 18 preferably comprises a normally deenergized electro-magnet 55 and a latch in the form of an armature 56 that is attracted when the magnet is energized. Energization of each magnet may be controlled by conventional electrical circuits (not shown) responsively to a signal emitted from a suitable external source.

Preferably, however, the magnets are controlled by the brushes 57 of sensing stations 58 and 58a or those of sensing stations 59 and 5%, which are selectively used to detect perforations in the card as it moves between the brushes and corresponding contact rolls 6i). Stations 58, 58a are used if information sensed from one card 12 is to be sent to a calculator to compute results to be punched in a preceding card; whereas stations 59,- 59a are used if information sensed from one card is to be punched in a subsequent card.

The brushes 57 of stations 58, 58a are arranged to con tact a record card 12 at points which are at opposite sides of roll 39a and spaced a distance equal to the distance between the center lines of the punches of banks X and Y. The punches of bank Y are preferably spaced a dis-- tance slightly less than 10 card cycle points away from the brushes of station 58, and the punches of bank X are" likewise spaced the same distance away from the brushes of station 58a; such distance is less than a full 10 card point machine cycle by an amount necessary to compen-- sate for and offset the delay time between the instant contact is made by the brushes 57 with the appropriate contact roll 60 and the instant at which an armature 56 is actually attracted by its magnet 55. Suitably circuitry including circuit breakers is provided not only, as heretofore proposed, to prevent short-circuiting of the brushes 57 with respective rolls 60 while the brushes Wipe the space between successive cards, but also to extend the periods the respective sets of brushes are rendered ineffective. More specifically, the brushes 57 of station 58a are rendered ineffective to read perforations in the 12, 11, 0, 1, 2 and 3 rows of a card and will read perforations only in the 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 rows; and conversely, the brushes of station 58 will read perforations in only those rows not read at station 58a. Thus, as a card 12 moves leftward, all reading will be suspended until the brushes at station 53 are positioned at the 12 row and those of station 58a are then positioned at the 4 row. Thereupon both sets of brushes will read concurrently for six card point cycles, and then be rendered ineffective by the circuit breakers until the next card is positioned as de-- scribed in the preceding sentence. It will be understood. that each set of brushes 57 comprises eighty brushes, one for each column of the record card; that each brush at: station 58 will be connected to control a corresponding magnet 55 of bank Y, and that each brush at station 58awill be connected to control a corresponding magnet 55 of bank X.

So that the brushes 57 of stations 59, 5% will be con trolled in the same manner as just described for those of stations 58, 58a, the brushes of stations, 59, 59a are similarly spaced a corresponding distance (somewhat less. than a full 10 card point machine cycle) away from therespective punches 13 of banks X and Y and at opposite sides of roll 39, and are also spaced apart from each other a distance equal to the distance between the center lines of the punches 13 of banks X and Y.

Each selecting lever 14 is fulcrumed at 61 and has three arms. One arm is pivotally connected to the interposer 15; another provides a follower portion 62 adapted to ride on cam surface 54; and the third arm, which projects from said other arm, normally is latched by the corresponding armature 56 and held out of contact with cam surface 54. When the correspond magnet 55 is energized, its armature 56 will be attracted and unlatch the selecting lever 14 permitting a suitably anchored spring 63 to pull follower portion 62 into contact with cam surface 54. A lighter spring 64 connects the interposer 15 to lever 14 to bias a follower portion 65 of the interposer into contact with surface 54.

Each restoring lever 16 is rockably fulcrumed on a pin 66 and has three arms. One arm provides a hook 67 that hooks under a shoulder provided by a notch in the side of the corresponding punch v13; another arm provides a follower portion 68 that is adapted to engage cam surface 54; and a spring '69 pushes on the remaining arm to bias the restoring lever 16 clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 2) about pin 66 to a normal position, in which it is shown in said figure, and in which its follower portion 68 is held away from the cam surface 54.

Operation Assume initially that a card 12 has just been moved to its initial registered position by mechanism 35; that the magnets 55 of the various latch means 18 are deenergized; and that the cams, 32, 44, driver 19, and driving feed rolls 36, 38, 50 are rotating in synchronism, in the manner above described. Under this condition, the various components will be maintained stationary in the respective positions in which they are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, except for the interposer 15 which will be oscillated by the rotating cam 17. It is to be noted that the punches 13 of bank Y will be disposed above the 12 row of the card and the punches of bank X will be disposed above the 4 row (see FIG. 7).

As the low part of rotating cam 32 is presented to follower 29, spring 25 will bias lever 27 counterclockwise about pin 28, and roll 34 will be elevated by pin 33 to cause the card 12 to be pinched between rolls 34, 23. The drive pins 21 will successively enter the slots in the Geneva wheel 22 and index the card 12 leftward stepwise relative to the banks X, Y of punches 13. Meanwhile, the card registering mechanism 35 will be controlled in the manner already explained.

Assume now, for sake of illustration, that the brushes 57 of sensing stations 58, 58:: are being used to read the cards 12 and are consequently connected to appropriate ones of the magnets 55 via circuitry above explained. As long as the magnets 55 remain deenergized, then armatures 56 will maintain the respective selecting levers 14- latched, as shown in FIG. 2. Since the follower portion 65 of each interposer 15 will continually ride on the corresponding cam surface 54, each interposer will oscillate relative to its pivot as the corresponding cam 17 rotates. Each restoring lever 16 and punch 13 will remain stationary because the levers 16 will not engage the cam surface 54 and the transversely offset part 70 ('FIG. 2) of the interposer follower portion 65 will not be aligned with the head of the corresponding punch 13.

In subsequent description, the timing relationships during a punching operation will be expressed in terms of the degrees that the low points L of the cams 17 are rotated relative to a reference point Z. It will also be understood that the punches may be operated at any desired rate up to about 22,000 card point cycles per minute without changing the configuration of any of the parts; however, as the punching rate increases, the pulse must be given to a particular magnet 55 correspondingly earlier because a constant time interval of about 2.5 milliseconds is required after a pulse signal is received and before sufficient flux is built up to attract the armature 56. The magnet pulse times hereafter stated will correspond to operation at the rate of 10,000 card points per minute.

Assume now that a pulse signal is delivered to a particular magnet 55 when low points L of the cams 17 have been rotated 75 (relative to reference point Z). At

about and upon expiry of the 2.5 millisecond delay high point H will register with follower portion 62 of selecting lever 14, and armature 56 will be attracted by magnet 55 and thus unlatch said lever. As shown in FIG. 6, the magnet pulse will be maintained until Meanwhile, as soon as the selecting lever 14 is unlatched, spring 63 will move follower portion 62 into contact with cam surface 54. As viewed in FIG. 3, while the low point L rotates toward portion 62, low point L will move from 145 to 235 and lever 14 will be rocked counterclockwise about pin 61 and pull the interposer 15 rightward. In FIG. 3 low point L' is shown rotated about 210 from point Z. Meanwhile, at 186 the ofiset part 70 of interposer follower portion 65 will be drawn into overlying relation with the head of punch 13. As the high point H approaches portion 65, the punch 13 will be driven downward by the motion transmitted from the cam 17 to the punch via the offset part 70 of the interposer 15. The punch 13 will move downward through guides 71, 72 and pass through the record card 12 and into a stationary die 73, attaining its lowermost position at 276.

Meanwhile, the high point I-I' will contact selecting 67 down and thereby rock restoring lever 16 counterclockwise about pin 66 to swing follower portion 63 toward cam 17. At 270 low point L will register with follower portion 68, and at 280 the various components will be positioned as shown in FIG. 4. As the high point H of the cam 17 approaches follower portion 68, the cam will rock restoring lever 16 clockwise about pin 66 and cause hook 67 to restore the punch 13 upward to its normal or retracted position in which it is shown in FIG. 2, and in which a shoulder on the punch abuts a a fixed stop shoulder 74. The restoring lever 16 thus starts to move the punch 13 rupward at 270 and completes the upward movement at 360.

Meanwhile, the high point H will contact selecting lever follower portion 62 before it contacts the restoring lever follower portion 68. Hence, the cam 17 will rock the selecting lever 16 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 4- about pin 61 and thereby push the offset part 70 of the interposer 15 leftward out of alignment with punch 13 ahead of the upwardly moving punch to permit the punch to move upward freely in the manner just described. Also, as the selecting lever 14 rocks clockwise, its uppermost arm will be moved rightward relative to the armature 56. When high point H registers with follower portion 62, such as will occur at about 325, a bias spring '76 will pop the olfset part 75' of armature 56 into latching engagement with a. shoulder 77 on lever 16 provided the magnet 55 is then deenergized.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it will be noted that sequential operations of th magnet 55, interposer 15, punch 13 and restoring lever 16 during the punching cycle just described are denoted by solid lines labeled B; and that each of these respective operations is initiated before another of the operations ends. The overlapping operations of these parts during the terminal part of a punching cycle immediately preceding cycle B are denoted by dash lines labeled A, whereas those for the initial part of a punching cycle immediately following B are denoted by dash lines C. While the operations for cycles A and C have not been shown completely, it will be understood that the corresponding operations during these cycles will occur at the same phases of rotation of cam 17; that the operational sequence chart for cycle C may be completed by matching the left hand edges of each curve of cycle A with the righthand edge of the corresponding curve of cycle C, and that the chart for cycle A may be completed by matching the righthand edge of each curve of cycle C with the lefthand edge of the corresponding curve of cycle A. It will also be understood that the displacements of the interposer 15, punch 13 and restoring lever 16 indicated in FIG. 6 will occur only if the punching cycle is initiated by a preceding magnet pulse; and that the displacements indicated for cycles A, B and C will occur only if a particular magnet 55 has been energized for three successive card point cycles.

It will now be apparent that each selecting lever 14, interposer 15, restoring lever 16 and punch 13 is controlled by a single rotating cam 17 in response to a pulse signal given at the proper time in a card point cycle to a corresponding magnet 55. The rotating cam 17 preferably comprises two lobes of identical configuration to enable two punching operations to be performed during each revolution of the cam. The punching rate can also be further increased by the back-to-back mounting of two banks of cams; this is permissible because the follower portions of the levers 14, 16 and interposer 15 are arranged about the cam periphery in spaced relation within an angle less than that defined between the high points H, H of the respective lobes. Moreover, the earns 17 are relatively flat adjacent their respective points L, H, L', H to enable an overlapping of the sequential operations as shown in PEG. 6 and also provide a smooth harmonic motion whereby inertia of the parts 13, 14, 15, 16 is reduced because changes in their direction of movement are effected gradually as these points rotate past the effective follower portions. After passing the relative flat portions adjacent the point L, H, L or H as the case may be, these respective parts are accelerated rapidly and then decelerated rapidly as their respective followers approach the fiat position adjacent the succeeding one of said points.

With the two blank punching machine illustrated, the punches 13 of each bank can punch different uniformly spaced rows concurrently as the card 12 is indexed six times through the machine. As best shown in FIG. 7, the punches 13 of bank Y can punch row 12 while the punches 13 of bank X punch row 4 of the same card 12; then the Y punches can punch row ll while the X punches punch row 5, etc.

It will be understood that, if desired, only a single bank of punches may be employed, in which case two drive means 11 would be employed and arranged at opposite longitudinal sides of the single bank of punches in the conventional manner heretofore proposed. Or, if desired, the improved control mechanism, including a single rotating cam 17 for harmonically controlling sequential operation of a selecting lever 14, interposer l and restoring lever 16 may be used to punch or otherwise mark records in the form of continuous tapes, rather than record cards.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention:

Nhat is claimed is:

1. In a machine for applying a code marking to a record, the combination of means for moving the record stepwise through the machine with alternate periods of movement and stationary dwell, means including a member movable solely translationally for applying the marking to the record, a single rotating cam, means including a selecting lever, an interposer and a restoring lever each engageable with said cam for actuation thereby, and means normally holding said selecting lever out of effective engagement with said cam and responsive to a preselected control condition to free said selecting lever to cause it to engage said cam, said interposer being operatively connected to said selecting lever and moved by the selecting lever, when the latter is engaged with said cam, into interposed relation between said cam and member for transmitting motion from the former to the latter to actuate the member to marking position, said restoring lever being operably connected to the member and operative by engagement with said cam to restore the member to a retracted position after it has been moved to marking position, whereby the cam will operatively effect and control movement of the member only when a marking cycle is initiated responsively to said preselected control condition, and said cam being so configured and related to said record moving means that the record will be stationary substantially only during the short interval of time that the marking member is in contact with the record.

2. In a machine for applying a code marking to a record, the combination of means for moving the record stepwise through the machine with alternate periods of movement and stationary dwell, a member movable solely translationaliy for applying the marking to the record, a single rotating cam having a cam surface defined by a plurality of contiguous cam lobes of identical configuration, and means comprising a selecting means, an interposer and a restoring means each having follower portions engageable with said surface, said selecting means being effective when engaged with the cam surface to successively interpose the interposer between the cam surface and member to cause the member to be operatively actuated by the cam to a marking position and thereafter move said interposer out of such interposed relation, said restoring means being operatively connected to said member and operative by the cam following movement of the member to marking position to provide a non-resilient operating connection for positively withdrawing the member from marking position, whereby during each revolution of the cam the record can be marked a number of times corresponding to the number of such lobes, and said cam surface being so configured and related to the record moving means that the record will be stationary substantially only during the short interval of time that the member is in contact with the record.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein each cam lobe comprises two symmetrical portions at either side of its respective high point, and wherein the parts of the cam nearest the respective high points and low points of the lobes are almost fiat to provide low rates of cam rise and fall to reduce inertia as the direction of movement of the various follower portions is reversed upon passage over said points.

4. in a machine for applying a code marking to a record, the combinations of means for moving the record stepwise through the machine, a translationally movable member for applying the marking to the record, a rotating cam having a cam surface defined by a plurality of contiguous cam lobes of identical configuration, means synchronizing the rotation of said cam with the stepwisemovement means such that from inception of one stepwise movement to the inception of the successive stepwise movement the cam will rotate through an are defined between corresponding points on adjacent lobes, selecting means and an interposer and a restoring means each having follower portions engagable with said surface, said portions being arranged in spaced relation peripherally about said cam within an arc of less angularity than that subtended by the first-mentioned are, said selecting means being operatively connected to said interposer and effective when engaged with the cam surface to suecessiveiy interpose the interposer between the cam surface and member to cause the member to be operatively actuated by the cam to a marking position and thereafter move said interposer out of such interposed relation, said restoring means being operatively connected to said member and operative by the cam following movement of the member to marking position to provide a non-resilient operating connection for positively withdrawing the member from marking position, whereby upon initiation of a marking cycle, said selecting means, interposer and restoring means will be displaced sequentially by said cam such that displacement of one commences before that of the preceding cases.

5. In a machine for applying a code marking to a record, the combination of a single intermittent drive mechanism means for moving the record stepwise through the machine, two reciprocatable members spaced :1 fixed distance from each other at each side of the drive mechanism longitudinally along the path of record movement and concurrently and selectively operable to apply a marking to the record at different longitudinal points therealong, and a pair of means for controlling operation of each member, each such means comprising a rotating cam having a cam surface defined by a plurality of contiguous cam lobes of identical configuration, and control means synchronizing the rotation of said cam with the stepwise movement means such that from inception of one stepwise movement to the inception of the successive stepwise movement the cam will rotate through an arc defined between corresponding points on adjacent lobes, a selecting means and an interposer and a restoring means each having follower portions engageable with said surface, said selecting means being effective when engaged with the cam surface to successively interpose the interposer between the cam surface and member to cause the member to be operatively actuated by the cam to a marking position and thereafter move said interposer out of such interposed relation, said restoring means being operatively connected to said member and operative by the cam following movement of the member to marking position to positively withdraw the member from marking position, and means for rotating said cams in opposite directions, the cams being arranged in close proximity and the follower portions associated with each control means being arranged to engage the cam surface at points which are remote from the nearest parts of the cams and at time which are staggered such that, upon initiation of a marking cycle, displacement of each such follower portion begins before that of the preceding one ends.

6. In a machine for applying a code marking to a record, the combination of two banks of marking members spaced longitudinally along the feed path of the record for marking different parts of the record, a single intermittent drive mechanism disposed between the banks for moving the record stepwise through the machine, one rotating cam for each member, and control mechanism including means providing followers engageable with and controlled by each such cam to control movement of a corresponding member, said cams being arranged in longitudinally spaced relation, and means for supporting each bank of cams in longitudinally spaced relation and driving each bank of cams in opposite directions, the followers associated with each respective bank being arranged to engage sides of their respective cams remote from the cams of the other bank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,951,534 Woodbury et al. Sept. 6, 1960 

